U.S. concerned Venezuelan government silencing the opposition, says Tillerson

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The United States is monitoring the political situation in Venezuela, said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on April 19. It is worried President Nicolas Maduro’s government is working to silence the opposition.

“We are concerned that the government of [Nicolás] Maduro is violating its own constitution and is not allowing the opposition to have their voices heard, nor allowing them to organize in a way that expresses the views of the Venezuelan people. Yes, we are concerned about that situation. We’re watching it closely, and working with others, generally through the OAS (Organization of American States), to communicate those concerns to them,” said Tillerson.

There has been political unrest in Venezuela since Maduro took office. The country is experiencing an economic crisis, with unemployment and inflation at an all time high. There are also food and medical shortages.

Anti-Maduro protests are happening across Venezuela. People are calling the current regime a dictatorship. Many protesters have been arrested or killed by police and pro-government forces.

Maduro has blocked an election that could remove him from office and dissolved the elected Legislature ruled by the opposition party. He also barred opposition leader Henrique Capriles from holding office.